Duterte presses peace with rebels

The government is determined to pursue peace with communist rebels and Muslim insurgents because it is futile “to kill each other until kingdom come,” President Duterte declared last Thursday.

The President recognized the peace talks with the rebel groups would be an uphill climb but the government prefers to wage peace, not war.

“We cannot fight forever. We cannot build a nation over the bones of our country men, be it an NPA or a soldier of the Republic. My job as President is not really to wage war against our own people, but my primary task is to seek peace with everybody,” the President said during a visit to a military camp in Maguindanao.

“Alam ko na ang peace talks mahirap ’yan but our job really is to bridge. You must remember that your understanding will bridge the peace with our generation now and ’yung generation na susunod,” he added. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)